Folding chair



Oct. 13, 1925 H. T. TUCKER FOLDING CHAIR Filed oct. 21, 1924 311mm llo cker' HB1-ir" T. 'Tu

afro: e110 Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

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'Y TEMPLE TUCKER, 0F FORT SMITH, AAS.

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Application mea october a1, 1924. serial No. 744,959.

To all whom it may conservo.'

' Be it known that I, HENRY T. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Folding Chair, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in chair constructions.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a folding chair, which may be folded into a compact iiat'struc'ture, or extended to provide a stable well balanced chair capable of supporting persons of eX- treme weight, due to the sturdy and effective manner of securing the parts.

A further objectyof this invention is'the provision of a folding chair, which includes parts whichl are movably connected by wooden parts, in a novel manner, so as to r dispense with castings, and other metal dit clips and parts which occasionally become loosened, bent, and detached.

A furtherobject of-this invention is the provision of a'folding chair which may be easily extended or collapsed.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel chair structure including a back portion cooperably associated with the seat structure thereof so that thev back portion will assume a comfortable rigid position with respect to the seat when the chair is extended and folded into substantial parallelism' with the seat when the chair is folded into a flat compact structure.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of thefollowing detailed description.

ln the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference-characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 41 is a cross sectional view taken longitudinally through the chair in its extended relation.

Figure 2 is a similar cross section of the tion.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in cross section, of the upper front corner of the chair when the parts thereof are collapsed.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the chair in folded position.

i chair parts with the chair in collapsed posi-- I n the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention the letter A may generally designate the chair which may inn clude a supporting structure B; seat C; and back D.

Referring to the supporting structure B, the same provides a pair of side bars or members 15 and 16, which at their lower portions provide legs 17 and 18 respectively, and at their upper portions provide the back rails 19 and 20 respectively. Front legs 21 and 22 are respectively provided for pivotal connection to the legs 17 and 18 by means of a cross bar 23, so that the legs 21 and 22 are e'ectively pivoted inwardly of the legs 17' and 18, and whereby when the chair is in position for seating purposes the pivot cross bar 23 will be disposed below the seat @substantially midway of the forward andrearward parts thereof, so that the ends of the-frontend rear pairs of legs are suitably distanced to properly and stably support the chair. p

llnwardly of their facing inside surfaces the back members 19 and 20 are provided withk longitudinally extending grooves 24 therein, provided for urpose of guidingnt'he operation of the seat as will be described.

Referring more particularly to the seat structure C, the same includes the side rails 30 and 31, with the front and rear main supporting bars 32 and 33 extending between the same and axed therein in any approved manner. The seat slats 35 are provided in any approved number, at their..

edge being supported in grooves provided lat the inside surfacesl of the rails 30 and 31, and preferably assisted in their support by the main front and rear supporting mem- :bers 32 and 33. This provides a very durable construction.

At its forward end, and preferably below' the slat 35 immediatel adjacent the supporting bar 32, a pivot race 38 is provided, extending transversely through the rails or members 30 and 31 of the seat C, and pro'- viding projections which are pivoted in the these projections 40 and 41 preferably supporting pins 42 which project laterally of their respective projections for slidable disposition in the grooves 24. These pins 42 it should be noted are not at the extreme rear ends of the rails 30 and 31, but permit said rails to project beyond the back rails 19 and 20 when the seat is in horizontal position.

For its horizontal rest-ing position the seat is supported by means of the pins 42, which rest in the lower ends of the grooves 24, to properly brace the pairs of front and rear legs to hold the seat in such position.

The back D in addition to the rails 19 and 20 above mentioned includes the swinging back portion 45, which consists of the top cross member 47 at its ends being pivoted by spindle extensions 48 in the upper ends of the rails 19 and 20, so that the back portion 45 may swing to permit the proper folding and unfolding of the chair. The back portion 45 furthermore includes the vertical slats 49, which at their lower ends are connected by means of a short cross piece 50, which is not connected to any part of the chair. except to the slats 49.

The ends of the seat rails 30 and 31 which extend beyond the back rails 19 and 20, when the seat is in horizontal position, as is illustrated in Figure 4, support a cross bar or piece 53, in spaced relation with the rearmost seat member 33 and the axis of which cross rail 53 is disposed below the lane of the seat formed by the slots 35. T e lower swinging end of the back 45 is disposed in this opening 55 between the seat member 33 and the retaining bar 53, to guide the back portion 45 into its folded or vunfolded. seating relation. A

At its upper end the chair is preferably provided with a hand grasping cross bar 58, connected in the back rails 19 and 20 at the very upper ends thereof. Across brace is similarly provided at the lower ends of the rear le s 21 and 22.

From the oregoing description of this invention the operation will be obvious. Assuming the chair to be in seating osition, vas is illustrated in Fi ure 1, in order to fold the same it is mere y necessary for the operator to grasp the cross piece 58 with his hand, and by placing his foot on the cross rail 60 and pulling upwardly, the seat C will be (pivotally swung upon its pivot piece` 38,I an

the pins 42 will slide upwardly in the groove'24, to permit the rear legs; the seat; and the back portion 45 to fold into flat collapsing relation within the area formed by the outer margins of the bars 15 and 16, and as is illustrated in Fi re 2 of the drawings. The back portion 45 1s guided in its folded or unfolded position by means of the bar 33 and the cross piece 53, and the back is folded in a plane substantially parallel with the seat when the chair is folded, and when the chair is unfolded the back is slightly tipped rearwardly at its lower end to place the same in proper posture for comfortable seating purposes. It is to be noted that all of the chair parts are formed of wood, even the bearing pins and cross braces. The parts may be made `of metal if desired, although the use of clips and metal castings is 'obviated by the structure shown, thus providing a chair which is relatively simple to construct, economical to manufacture, and which may be easily folded or unfolded. As for the unfolding of the chair it is merely necessary fo-r the operator to grasp the same by the rail 58 at the top of the chair, and by swinging the chair outwardly at its lower end and hitting the lower ends of the rear pair of legs 21 and 22 on a floor surface, with the front of the chair facing the person, the chair will immediately become unfolded.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts lmay be made to the form of the invention herein shown and d`e' scribed, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope o-f the claims.

l claim:

l. As an article of manufacture a folding chair comprising a pair of main bars each including at its lower portion a front supporting leg and each including at its upper portion a back rail rigid with its respective leg, a pair of rear legs pivotally connected intermediate their ends between the ends of said front legs inwardly of saidfront legs, a seat pivotally connected at its forward end to the upper ends of said rear legs, means pivotally and slidably connecting the rear portion of said seat to said back rails whereby the rearportion of said seat extends rearwardly of said back rails when the seat is positioned for seating purposes,means providing a transverse opening in said seat at its rear end, and a back pivotally connected ati'ts upper end to the upper ends of said lback rails and having its lowest free swinging end slidably disposed through the opening provided at the rear of said seat.

2. As .an article of manufacture a folding chair comprising a pair of sidel bars, a air of rear legs pivotally connected interme iate their ends between the ends of said side bars, a seat member pivotally connected at its forward end to the upper ends of said rear legs, means slidably connecting the rear end of said seat to said side bars and between the same, a cross bar carried by said seat rearwardly thereof and in spaced relation with said seat to -provide a transverseopening,

and a back member pivotally connected at 3. In a folding chair'the combinationof 132 Memos a pair of side bars supporting legs and a pair of back rails, a pair of front supporting' legs pivotally connected between their ends between the ends of said front supporting legs, a seat structure pivotally connecting at its forward end tothe upper ends of said rear legs and at its rear end being slidably connected to the baclr rails, said seat including a seat platform and side rails which extend rearwardly of the back rails when the seat is in seating relation, a cross bar carried by said seat side railsl at their rear ends and in spaced relation with the platform to rovide a transverse slot which is dispose rear- Wardly of the back rails when the ,seat platform vis in horizontal seating relation, said cross bar being disposed below the plane of said seating platform, and a swinging back pivotally connected at its upper end between the back rails at their upper ends and v at its lower end slidably resting within the transverse slot provided between the seat platform and the cross bar supported by said seat side rails.

4. f'i folding chair comprising collapsible front and rear leg constructions, a back construction including back rails and a back member pivoted at its upper end to said back rails, and a seat structure collapsibly connected with said front and rear leg conproviding a pair of front" ,structions and including side rails and a between the rear edge of said seat portion and said bar through which the lower swingiing end of sa-id back member slidably extends to, guide and support the back member in extendedor collapsed relation to the seat and back rails.

5. A folding chair comprising collapsible front and rear legs constructions, a back construction including back rails, and a back member pivoted at itsupper end to said back rails, and a seat structure collapsibly connected with said front and rear leg constructions and at its rear end having a substantially transverse slot-like opening thru which the lower swinging end of the back `member vslidably extends, said seat structure forwardly and rearwardly of said slot-like opening providing portions' for retainin the back member in position to guide an support 'the said back member in its extended or collapsed relation to the seat and back rails,

Heuer TEMPLE Toonen. f 

